


Through the Fire

by Birdish



Category: Kingdom Hearts
Genre: Enemies to Friends to Lovers, I always write them as exes, M/M, Mutual Pining, Slow Burn, Xemnas Redemption (Kingdom Hearts), decided to give them the pining treatment
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-08-10
Updated: 2020-10-23
Packaged: 2021-03-06 06:59:35
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 5,065
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25829305
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Birdish/pseuds/Birdish
Summary: With strange reports of arson popping up throughout the city, Xemnas, the de facto Hollow Bastion Restoration Committee leader while Leon is out of town, entails the investigating-expertise of a certain blue-haired private detective.
Relationships: Isa/Xemnas (Kingdom Hearts), Saïx/Xemnas (Kingdom Hearts)
Kudos: 17





	1. No. I

**Author's Note:**

> I just think they're neat.

“He’s here, your detective.”

It was the scorn in Braig’s tone that made it obvious _which_ detective he was talking about. Dilan’s silence, aided only by a smooth, almost piteous nod, was enough to launch him into another grumbled fit.

“He acts like he’s sent from Jehova or something,” Braig took a sip of his coffee, swirling the cup as he scoffed and looked towards his other companion. “I bet you can’t wait for him to leave.”

_What were the odds that, out of all the detectives in the area, it would be him?_

Their superior didn’t tear his gaze away from the office plant, his eyes narrowing, thoughts pulling him elsewhere. _Was this fate perhaps_? He felt the warmth, almost scalding against his palm. _Your detective._

“I supposed I’ve made him wait long enough, haven’t I?”

Braig snorted, nodding, and watched as his superior slowly made his way to the back office. The Organization members’ gazes followed him, and as he turned the corner, Braig stifled a laugh.

“I don’t know which of them I should feel sorrier for.”

And Dilan, once again, silently nodded.

* * *

It wasn’t like the Detective to sit during a meeting. He’d sat once and after that….well…he stood.

But today, _today_ he sat, and when Xemnas entered the office, he didn’t rise. His gaze barely met the newcomer’s, a glimpse of honeyed gold, before he looked back to the report.

Detective Isa closed the report, put it on the desk with the shake of the head. “Six burned structures in less than two months. This perpetrator is...quite dangerous Sir.”

Xemnas took the report, eyeing it smoothly before placing it back onto the desk. He sat, and for a moment neither talked. The sound of the ticking clock filled the room, and with an air of dramatics, Xemnas, finally, gave a low sigh.

“We did find the fires odd ourselves, but the defense network said it was faulty wiring, I admit we were wrong to trust it. It was only when we personally investigated that we found the oddities."

Their eyes met again, that sharp teal almost poetically knowing. Xemnas sipped at his coffee, felt it scald his tongue, and he fought against the urge to flinch. He took another sip, felt it on his deadened tongue, and waited for the question he knew would come.

“The graffiti I presume?”

Not the question he’d expected, but Xemnas nodded. The painted symbol came to mind, its carefully drawn edges deliberate against burned brick, taunting him with each jagged splash of red. It’d been an odd-shape, circular at times, pointed at others. The name of the symbol alluded him, and even the Detective, clearing his throat, seemed mildly pink-hued as he failed to recall the name himself.

“Pardon my bluntness,” And there it was: _the_ question. Isa’s gaze was even, his voice level, but still, as he clasped his hands together, there was a motion of embarrassment. “Has Leon returned from…”

_It was like him, so dependable. Predictable. He wouldn’t want to work with him, why would he? He was smart to want to flee._

Xemnas knew something like this would arise when he'd contacted the outside authorities for help. Knew upon hearing the title _Detective Isa_ that his flash of worry had been felt in the other. But Xemnas was made for this, raised for this, his personality crafted in such a way that knowing how to wound came just as easily, just as naturally, as knowing how to heal. Isa’s words faltered into the sound of the clock and his polite bravado seemed to lessen. For anyone to question his authority, his ability to lead, called for a bit of ego wounding. 

_Predictable. Expected. Exactly the kind of behavior he'd come to find reliable._

He was sure, as he let gravity drag his words forward, that the Detective probably appreciated the same things out of him.

“If Leon had returned do you think _my_ Organization would be helping the Restoration Committee operate? No Detective, he hasn’t returned.”

It’d only been three months since the stern Committee leader had gone to advocate for the restoration of Radiant Garden. It'd only made sense that he came to Xemnas, asking, in plain tones, for him to step into the de facto role of leader. They were the same after-all, refugeed by the war, brought back by a yearning for home. It was what’d driven Xemnas to establish The Organization, had pushed him to preserve Radiant Garden’s cultural history, had fostered the chains of community between him and his subordinates. It was inevitable that the two groups would merge, their goals were similar enough, but Xemnas would have rathered it’d happened at a different time, not when a pyromaniac was seemingly hell-bent on returning the town to its post-war appearance.

He would have rathered not having to call in outside forces.

Having to call in _this_ detective.

“I apologize for the offense, I meant nothing rude by my comment,” And for the first time during their meeting, Isa looked to the desk instead of Xemnas, his words low, head slightly bowed, the too-calm gaze shrouded away, hiding the sudden embarrassment that Xemnas, in a way, wanted to see. “I assumed he’d have been the one to worry about property destruction, especially since it seems the newly restored buildings are the ones that are targeted.”

Xemnas nodded and pulled the mug closer to himself. “There was no offense Isa,” He looked to the Detective with a cool, unwavering gaze. “And though the circumstances are unfortunate, I look forward to working with you again.”

_May it be better than last time._

The Detective's head, slowly, rose upwards, something flashing in his gaze as his body tensed. Xemnas’ mug stilled against his lips before he looked to the open window, masking the surprise with a nonchalant sip. His gaze only flickered to the Detective’s hands for a split moment, only saw the nails digging into flesh for a second he hoped hadn't been too long. 

This was not expected behavior from the Detective. This reaction to a memory Xemnas hadn't meant to, wanted to, resurface in either of them.

_A flash of red. Blood. Pain. Anger he hadn’t expected, fear he hadn’t wanted._

He looked to the flower gardens, watched as the breeze rustled petals free. _It was going to be a hot day, hot and windy; an annoying combination_ , and from the corner of his eye, Xemnas watched as Isa took a deep breath.

"Would you like some coffee Detective?" He looked to one of the strelitzia flowers before checking to see how Isa was faring. The gaze was even, the storm passed and waters calm, restored. _Good_.

There was a long, searching moment before the Detective leaned forward, taking the report in hand as he rose from his seat.

"No thank you, Sir," he pocketed his free hand as though to hide the crescent indentations. "I'll begin my investigation and will report any findings back to you."

The desk separated them, the steam off the coffee lessening with each cooling minute, and the words they wanted to say were lost to the silence.

_Why would you come back here?_

_Doesn’t it hurt?_

Isa was the first to speak, his voice graveled with something not yet choked down.

“While I am here Sir, please do not call me Detective nor Isa. And if you must call me Detective, Detective Saïx will do.” And he turned, opened the door to take his leave.

“An alias,” but Xemnas’ voice labored his step. It came as a whisper, muttered only for his own ears. “I’d expect nothing less from you.”

And the words, like a promise, followed Isa as he left.

* * *

When he'd look to Xemnas, traced the way the silver hair framed his face, the calmness in his eyes, there was nothing malevolent. Nothing offensive or angry.

And still, his words had hurt...but there'd been no intention behind them.

_May it be better than last time._

_Words from long ago, words that'd been spoken for other reasons._ _It’d been a long time since their last encounter. Another lifetime. He wasn't a rookie anymore and Xemnas was..._

Isa sighed as he walked the streets of Radiant Garden, the sound of his footsteps echoing off the cobblestone, his hands pocketed, the report, tucked into his inner jacket.

_He was still Xemnas._

Isa'd taken the case only because…well this had been _his_ home too. It had nothing to do with The Organization, nothing to do with the Restoration Committee, nothing to do with Xemnas. He was here only to appease the refugeed child from his past. Only to bring justice upon someone who dared harm a town on the cusp of resurrection.

His town.

The sky darkened, and Isa looked upwards. A cloud was a good sign, it would dampen the heat of the day. If it rained maybe there'd be enough water for the old fountains to flow.

_He'd like that, it'd make for a good lunch destination._

But of course, nothing was ever that simple.

 _Smoke_.

It trailed, a growing blackness, above the rooftops of the restored townhouses. And from the windows of the hotel, leaping, as though fighting for his attention, came the brilliance of flames.

There was a beauty in the sparks of destruction, a pang of sadness in the crackling embers. It was a cluster of flames on the eighth floor of the building, the orange and red plumes dancing outside the windows.

All was calm despite their presence, birds still chirped and, on the breeze came the smell of flowers. For a moment, as Isa took a step forward, the Detective wondered if maybe he was the only one to see it, was the only one entranced by the sudden violence.

But then came the Defense Network siren-system, and he was no longer the sole witness to an expected, and predictable, fire.

* * *

"It's odd isn't it, how easily the flames are contained in all these incidents? In a condensed town like Radiant Garden, the fire should easily spread from building to building, but..."

The fire chief seemed to be only half-listening to the Detective, and though he nodded along to what Isa was saying, his eyes, frequently, strayed towards the dampened, blackened eighth floor of the hotel.

"The Defense System has containment orbs, it's probably because of that."

"Probably?" Isa looked to the man before him, to the laissez-faire smile and the relaxed posture. "I don't mean to be rude Chief but you should take this job more seriously, focus more on prevention than on allowing the Defense System to contain the fires."

"Who even starts a fire in the middle of the day, I was right in the middle of writing a song...."

 _This was hopeless._ With a sigh, Isa relented, thinking to his suitcase, now reduced to ash.

Was it intentional, calculated? Or was it coincidental, maybe even fate?

He could just go back home, back to the dank streets of The World That Never Was. He'd have to take the early train to get back to Radiant Garden each day, or maybe he'd just rent a car for the time being...

"A pity."

Again, the warmth of the sunlight became obscured, another manmade eclipse shadowing its light. The presence was as familiar as a childhood sensation, déjà vu settling by his side. The voice alone told him who it was, but even if they hadn’t spoken, he would have known just by the familiarity of the sensation.

_He’d stood by his side many times, ready for instruction, ready to follow._

"Yes, truly," the Detective shrugged off his overcoat, held it in his arms as he looked to the cobblestone. "This day holds surprises at every corner. Demyx as Radiant Garden’s fire chief is.... unorthodox," He paused and shook his head. "The perpetrator is unpredictable."

They were both silent, the smell of smoke still heavy in the air. Isa traced the stone road with narrowed eyes, his thoughts clustering, ideas forming and deconstructing. _What had he packed? Anything worth missing?_ He barely registered the glimpse of a hand until it was wrapped against his arm, only rose from his thoughts as his companion went to talk.

"Come," Xemnas' voice beckoned him forward as much as the grasp of the hand did. "You were staying at the hotel, weren't you? If you recall I have a cottage behind my house, you're free to use it as lodging, it’s vacant now," the hand fell away, its purpose fulfilled, and they turned to one another.

"It’s a bit unprofessional, is it not?" He knew the cottage, could never forget it.

_It held some of his better memories of Xemnas._

"Unprofessional? Not at all Saïx. You are just visitor in this town, and as the Restoration Committee leader your safety and comfort is my priority."

 _A vistor_. _Not the colleague of the son of the mayor. Not the golden boy and the silver prince. Always somewhere between rivals and allies._

Lifetimes ago, there'd been the dichotomy, the confusion. And now, as Isa followed Xemnas down the streets they'd once walked, he caught one last glimpse of that sure amber gaze and wondered if anything had really changed.

_This was his case, but was he really the leader?_

His gaze narrowed.

_Who was in the lead, and who was following?_


	2. No. II

Just behind the castle was the residence of the mayor and his family, and precisely behind _that_ was the Ambassador’s Cottage, a place Isa had never known of and thus, had never considered gracing.

It was, supposedly, used for visiting foreign dignitaries; was quaint, quiet, and tucked away from the ever-searching eyes and noise of the city. It’d been empty for years now, the seasons stretching into decades as the escalating political tension kept any foreign ambassadors from visiting Radiant Garden. It’d been empty for so long that it’d become a secondary study room for young Master Xemnas and his… colleagues, and he spent most of his afterschool days tucked within the warm brick walls.

There was calmness in the stone, a quietness that felt…almost wrong. Isa flipped through the textbook, and strained to hear the familiar sounds of his beloved city: the distant murmurings of the market, voices catching on the breeze, the sound of a bicycle bell, the distant roar of the fountains…

But all Isa could hear was the windchimes gentle song, and, as he stiffened, the smooth, even sound of Xemnas turning a page.

“I’m surprised you didn’t want to work with Lea,” the young master’s voice slid through the silence, and Isa, tentatively, looked from his textbook, breath catching as his gaze met a curt, even glance.

_Would there ever come a day when he didn’t tense under those eyes?_

“Or Even, you and him seem friendly enough,” Xemnas flipped another page before looking away, tracing his finger across the paper. Isa cleared his throat and took a cue from his lab partner, flipping through the science textbook, only glancing upwards when he spoke.

“Lea isn’t the best at science and Even is too particular, he’d try and take over the entire project,” He tried to sound casual, relaxed, as though his mind wasn’t wandering each time he gave a cautious glance forward. The golden cut of light, framing Xemnas’ jaw in the afternoon sun, was enough to scatter anyone’s thoughts. “I’m more surprised you agreed…You usually don’t stray from your group.” Isa’s gaze lingered on Xemnas’ jawline once more before quickly going back to the book.

Isa was thankful, in that moment, that he’d just turned the page because his heart was beating so rapidly his hands would have shaken the paper.

_Get yourself together._

“Braig is terrible at anything that isn’t athletics…but more importantly, who am I to turn you down?”

Who am I to turn you down? The son of the late mayor and brother of the _present_ mayor had said that about _him_?!

“Oh?” it was all he could think to say.

“You’re one of the best students in the class,” Xemnas gave a small nod, and Isa’s heart quickened. “I have always thought we’d make good friends or at least acquaintances, so I had no reason to deny your request.”

Though the table separated them, Isa could feel himself being compelled forward, felt his torso begin to strain against the wood. Such pretty eyes, a deep amber. They bore into his mind, caught him, like prey, in their stability. Everything about Xemnas spoke of consistency, the metered, melodic way he spoke, the unwavering, golden gaze, and as he continued to talk, his gaze unyielding, trapping Isa in the cadence of praise, Isa felt safe…and maybe the beginnings of a bad habit. That small voice, that quiet murmuring of _get it together_ , faded under the sound of Xemnas’ voice.

“You have good grades, good manners, good family. Your friendships,” he paused, a deliberation in the silence, and finally, Isa remember how to breathe. “Your friendships are…possibly your only poor choice.”

He’d known he’d taken a gamble when he’d asked Xemnas to be his lab partner, knew that it could only go one of two ways. And Xemnas, with a calm, smooth smile, had chosen the least desirable option.

“Lea is one of my better choices in life,” Where there’d once been a sense of calm now came something else. Isa leaned back from the table, realizing then how far from his chair he’d gotten. He scooted back until his back met wood, and with a stare of his own, looked to Xemnas. “He’s a good friend.”

“Is he?” Xemnas’ gaze left him, going back to the page, and through the growing anger, Isa felt a wave of disappointment. “My brother says it’s a shame you hang around him, wasted potential. You should be aware that the next time he catches you two sneaking around the castle he plans to press charges.”

Isa didn’t respond.

Didn’t know how to respond.

He only, in the silence, flipped a page of the textbook, and for the first time that day began to read. _He would have been better off partnering with Lea._ He read quickly, trying to ignore the heat of Xemnas’ gaze. _A "C" would be better than dealing with this._

“Is there a reason,” Xemnas voice beckoned. “That you do the things you do with Lea? Breaking into the castle, playing frisbee when you could be studying, climbing on private property late into the night?”

How long had Xemnas been paying attention?

“There is a reason,” Isa’s eyes were glued to the page as he spoke, voice vibrating. “Lea’s my friend.”

The sound of fingers drumming against the table filled the room, a temptation when the eyes failed to tempt, but Isa leaned closer to his book, his nose almost touching the paper.

“Is that all?” There was a moment of silence, and Xemnas cleared his throat. “ _I_ could give you a reason for doing things.”

And Isa, slowly, looked from the page he’d read half a dozen times. He met that intense stare, felt it warm his cheeks and send butterflies up his spine. And this time, in the depths of gold, there was something…. new and unreadable in Xemnas’ gaze.

“What was that?” he’d meant to sound tense, maybe even angry, but as he looked to Xemnas, his voice sounded calm, and…dare he say, curious.

“I could give you a purpose. Something worthwhile outside of trespassing on public property,” Xemnas smiled, a small, polite grin, his eyes narrowing, something like satisfaction in the gaze.

This was usually the moment when he caught them. Like a spider in its web, wrapping its prey in threaded words. He’d been interested in Isa for some time now, and finally, the opportunity had presented itself, as though by fate…

The pages crinkled under Isa’s fingertips as he closed his textbook. He stood, the chair scraping against the wood. The sound echoed through the quiet cottage, and his prior trembling, barely concealed, now rolled through him.

But what had once been the result of embarrassment, was now born from rage.

“Friendship is a purpose,” Xemnas hadn’t known Isa could look this way. Hadn’t thought that he’d be able to see anger, glowing brightly, in those calm eyes.

“Friendship?” Xemnas was still calm, metered, but his gaze had narrowed. “I always thought that red-headed pawn was your subordinate, couldn’t understand why you allowed him to control you. You and I —”

Warmth budded in Isa’s stomach, and he clenched his fist.

“Lea isn’t anyone’s subordinate and he doesn’t control me,” He was going to go berserk, could feel it already, welling warm and hungry in his stomach. “Insult him again and you can work on this assignment alone.”

_No wonder Lea hated Xemnas. He was judgmental and arrogant._

_Why had he wasted energy on giving him benefit of the doubt? Why did he willingly ask him to be his partner for a project that would span the entire month?_

“What a shame... And here I thought we could be friends.” 

Xemnas’ voice was quiet, spoken so under breath that Isa was surprised he could hear it. Xemnas, finally, looked away, the intensity in his gaze deadened, and Isa, as he still stood, shaking and angry, felt, in the warm afternoon light, as though he’d been doused in water. The guilt, crisp and cool down his spine, sent a chill through him.

He wouldn’t apologize. Couldn’t. Not until Xemnas apologized for insulting Lea.

But his anger was already, as though fighting against him, falling away, and the ball in his stomach, with each trembled breath, unfurled.

_Is there a reason that you do the things you do with Lea? Breaking into the castle, playing frisbee when you could be studying, climbing on private property late at night?_

_How long had Xemnas been paying attention to them? To him?_

“I’ll be back tomorrow.”

* * *

**_Now_ **

Budding morning light trailed over sleep-heavy eyes and Isa turned in bed, tugging the blanket over his head. He sighed, breathing in the familiar smell. There’d been many mornings where he’d woken up in this very room, soft with sleep and drowsy against another warm body, and for a moment, it was as though he was a teenager again, save for a sleeping companion. Just as it was then, there was only silence, and he could pretend the city still held the hustle and bustle of days gone by.

But the smell of smoke, arid and musky qnd brought in by a breeze, quieted the panging.

Isa leaned forward, the blanket falling to his stomach as he pulled a hand through ponytailed hair as he looked around the room. It hadn’t changed. It still only held a bed, a desk, and the same clothes from back then draped over the desk chair.

 _Wait…no._ Isa squinted. A simple button-up and slacks. Not the hoodie and jeans of his youth.

And also…not his clothes, but obviously left for him.

The sigh turned into a wince. 

* * *

“Did you sleep well?”

Isa’d expected the man would still be there after depositing the clothing gift, waiting, as though taunting, in the shadows of the kitchen. And there he was, sat where they’d once been in their boyhood, the steam from his drink catching the faint light of dawn.

_Coffee again?_

“Thank you for the clothes.”

“Seeing as your luggage burnt it was the least I could do.”

Xemnas sipped on his coffee, his gaze returning to the small book before him. Isa drifted through the kitchen, opening cabinets and pushing down tokens of satisfaction. Nothing had changed. The mugs were where they’d always been, the plates where they should be. He prepared a small, modest breakfast out of the few necessities he’d purchased the night before: bread, milk, eggs, and, he, curtly, sat at the table across from Xemnas.

He ate and Xemnas read in morning-stilled silence. The wind chimes sang and the sound of a turning page did nothing to ease the pounding of Isa’s nervous heart. He’d been through situations that were far more dangerous than this. He’d interrogated people without so much as a worry. But there was something disconcerting about sitting across from an ex he hadn’t spoken to in years. An ex that he’d broken up with under less than ideal circumstances.

“Do you remember when we’d come here?” and Xemnas’ voice, breaking through the silence, only added to the stress.

Isa tensed, and then, closed his eyes. Any thoughts of the past always led to one of two situations…Either flashes of blood and rage or…as it was now…softness, warmth. Moments of tenderness, a hand wrapped around a waist, another pressed to a thigh, a kiss unlike he’d ever felt…

Sometimes the past was kind.

“Why do you ask?”

“I do not come here often,” another flip of the page, déjà vu strong as the scent of coffee. “This is the first time in many years.”

“Life was much simpler then.”

“It was.”

They were silent once more as Isa finished his meal. When he’d finished, he rose from the table, hands tightly clasped over his empty plate. He’d let the past be in the past. It was better that way. There was no point in reminiscing. Not point in finding satisfaction in small things staying the same.

“I’d like to speak with the other leaders of the Restoration Committee,” and the memories hushed under the sound of running water. “I need to see the records for the buildings you’re planning to restore and your anticipated timeline.” Isa could feel Xemnas’ eyes, warm and calculating, against his back.

“Yuffie and Aerith? They’re at Merlin’s I presume, I’ll take you there.”

“That isn’t necessary, I remember where it is.”

“Of course,” Isa could feel the gaze shift away, felt the warmth against him dull. “Of course….”

Isa dried the plate and went to the cabinet in silence. He lingered, his hand on the cabinet handle, thoughts repeating.

_What were the appropriate steps for dealing with this? He’d already said his thank-yous, did he need to say goodbyes…._

“Good luck on your investigation Saïx,” a chair scrapped against the wood, and Isa looked to the countertop, listening as Xemnas’ footsteps trailed away, out of the kitchen and down the hall.

And the _thank you_ lay, cold and wanting, on his tongue.

* * *

The flashlight flickered and Isa gave it a hard slap. Scolded, it jolted to life, illuminating burnt wood. How many times had this building been burned? It’d crumbled during the Fall of Radiant Garden, and now, once more, it’d been partially destroyed. The flashlight flickered again as Isa stepped over a burnt doorway, the wood charred and flaking grey, and he swatted it again. The sound echoed into the darkness.

Talking with Aerith and Yuffie had been harder than he’d expected, but he could say the same thing about this entire job. Coming back home, back to…. _them_ …maybe he hadn’t been as ready for it as he’d expected. Seeing them, talking to them....

 _That wasn’t important_. Isa flashed the light into the gloom that’d been his room. Somewhere in there were the ashes of his suitcase. He glared into the darkness.

Talking with Aerith and Yuffie had been helpful, very helpful to Detective Saïx...and that’d been the hardest thing. Not because they didn’t have any worthwhile information, nor because they were anything but hospitable. It was squarely because, as he spoke to them, it became clear that they didn’t remember him at all. He was Saïx, and only Saïx, A part of him had hoped that these people, _his_ people, would look at him long enough to question whether his name was really Saïx. That they’d look to hair that should have been familiar and say: “Weren’t you in our class?” 

At times, the scar was his best alias. Even better than wearing a mask and changing his name.

But maybe it was better this way. If his hunch that the arsonist was someone who had once walked the streets of Radiant Garden was correct, they’d know exactly where a Detective _Isa_ resided, and the cottage would be up in flames in no time. So not being recognized as Isa was…. needed. It was the way it needed to be.

He looked through the plans once more as he walked through the burnt section of the hotel. They’d be restoring the Castle next…that was a tall order.

_Room 13. Bingo._

And there, right on the burnt door, was what he'd expected to find. The graffiti mark, red and circular with jutting spikes.

He took his picture and stepped back. This is what he’d come for, this is what he’d have to send to HQ.

He looked at the picture, eyes narrowing.

He’d seen this before…but where?

* * *

It was dark by the time he made his way back to the cottage. The moonlit his path, the darkness of the surrounding woods filled with possibilities and fears. He kept to the train, walking quickly, thoughts bright red with the graffiti mark. The cottage came into view, the patio light a beacon of comfort. 

_Crack_.

Isa paused, hand lingering over the knob. _Someone was here, someone was_....the door opened, and Isa tensed.

“I was leaving more clothes.”

They stared at one another, Xemnas lingering in the doorway, Isa’s footsteps still suspended, frozen in time. The only thing that moved between them was Xemnas' eyes. They traced, slowly, the rigidity of Isa's body, focused on his drooped shoulders the most. Could he see the pain of the day there? The exhaustion?

“I'll be leaving now,” and when he finally looked Isa in the eyes, it was as though he’d redirected the moonlight onto him.

“Alright.”

And time resumed, their gazes dropping. Xemnas stepped from the cabin, Isa walked forward, and the _thank you_ for the morning resurfaced, quiet and barely whispered.

“Will you back tomorrow? During breakfast?”

Xemnas paused, standing now where Isa once had. They looked to one another, one in the doorway and one on the path, and again, came the déjà vu.

So much had changed since this, they’d both grown, and learned, and repented…

And yet, as Xemnas gave a small nod, Isa, just as he’d been one Spring day years ago, was breathless.

**Author's Note:**

> If you're wondering: hey didn't I see this fic last week.  
> You did, you're 100% correct. I deleted the fic because I was like: since I have the plot pretty much figured out maybe I should write the entire fic and post chapters on a consistent schedule,,,,  
> But then,,,I thought to myself: gocrazygowild  
> So the first chapter is back, enjoy lol, sorryfortheconfusion


End file.
